Dokku vs Tsuru
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted self-hosting platforms (paas) options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Dokku
Smallest open-source PaaS implementation you can run
VS
Tsuru
Extensible open-source application platform
| Feature | Dokku | Tsuru |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 98 · Excellent | 90 · Excellent |
| Category | Self-Hosting Platforms (PaaS) | Self-Hosting Platforms (PaaS) |
| License | MIT | BSD-3-Clause |
| Language | Go | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, docker | kubernetes, docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 32,154 | ★ 5,312 |
| First released | 2013 | 2012 |
| Replaces | Heroku | Heroku |
What are Dokku and Tsuru?
Dokku
Dokku is a lightweight platform-as-a-service that turns a single server into a Heroku-style deployment target using Git push and Docker. It supports buildpacks and a rich plugin ecosystem.
- Git push deployments
- Buildpack and Dockerfile support
- Plugin ecosystem
- Minimal resource footprint
Tsuru
Tsuru is an open-source platform-as-a-service that manages the full application lifecycle across Docker and Kubernetes backends. It supports buildpacks, autoscaling, and a pluggable architecture.
- Full app lifecycle management
- Buildpack support
- Pluggable provisioners
- Autoscaling
Dokku vs Tsuru: key differences
Both projects are written in Go. Licensing differs — MIT for Dokku versus BSD-3-Clause for Tsuru. Dokku is the lighter option, starting around 1,024 MB of RAM against 2,048 MB for Tsuru. Dokku has the considerably larger community, at 32,154 GitHub stars versus 5,312.
Why pick each one
Choose Dokku if…
- Heroku-style Git deploys
- Minimal resource footprint
- Rich plugin ecosystem
Watch out for
- Single-server by design
- CLI only, no dashboard
Choose Tsuru if…
- Released under the BSD-3-Clause license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
- Mature project with 5.3k GitHub stars
Frequently asked questions
Is Dokku or Tsuru better?
Dokku is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Tsuru if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Dokku and Tsuru free and open-source?
Yes. Dokku is licensed under MIT and Tsuru under BSD-3-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Dokku and Tsuru with Docker?
Dokku: yes. Tsuru: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Dokku or Tsuru?
Dokku has the smaller minimum footprint at 1,024 MB of RAM, compared to about 2,048 MB for Tsuru. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.